NFL Rules on Tampering Cases: Eagles Cleared, but Falcons Will Give Up 2025 5th-Round Pick

The NFL has finally resolved the free agent tampering cases of the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons after a three-month investigation. The league announced that the Eagles did not have illegal contact with then-free agent running back Saquon Barkley during the 52-hour legal tampering period prior to the start of free agency.

The Eagles were cleared of any wrongdoing in the Saquon Barkley signing.

However, the Falcons were not as fortunate. The league found that they had improper contact with Kirk Cousins, Darnell Mooney, and Charlie Woerner during the 52-hour legal tampering period. As a result, the Falcons will forfeit their 2025 fifth-round pick and pay a team fine of $250,000, while general manager Terry Fontenot will pay a fine of $50,000.

The Falcons were penalized for tampering with Kirk Cousins and other free agents.

The NFL’s investigation found that the Falcons had direct contact with the players during the negotiating period, which is prohibited by the league’s anti-tampering policy. The policy permits clubs to engage with and negotiate all aspects of an NFL player contract with the certified agent of any prospective unrestricted free agent during the two-day negotiating period, but any direct contact between the player and an employee or representative of the club is prohibited.

The Falcons also tampered with Darnell Mooney and Charlie Woerner.

The Falcons acknowledged the violations and will review their process to improve. The NFL did not discover sufficient evidence to support a finding that the anti-tampering policy was violated by the Eagles in the lead-up to signing Barkley.

The Eagles were cleared of any wrongdoing in the Saquon Barkley signing.

The NFL’s investigation into the tampering cases serves as a reminder to teams to follow the rules and respect the league’s policies. The Falcons’ penalty serves as a warning to other teams to avoid similar violations in the future.

The NFL’s investigation into tampering cases is a reminder to teams to follow the rules.